Day 159: The Defection of Heart Drifts the Soul and Deforms Behavior

Today we read 2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 33-24, and Proverbs 7, 8:1-21. In this story, we are reminded of God's grace and His justice. The leaders and people of the Southern Kingdom idolized other gods, places, and practices, adulterating their hearts. This defect led to a soul drift that deformed their behaviors away from the commands and covenant with their God, our God. Yes, even with the evil king Manasseh, God showed mercy to him when he repented and humbled himself in his own exile. God restored Manasseh to his home.  Yes, the story seems to describe how God gave time to kings who were faithful, allowing them to not see in their lifetime the exile. Unlike a wilderness journey where the people volunteer to go, although uncertain and scared, an exile is an unwanted removal from somewhere to somewhere else. Both may feel like a dislocation from the culture and physical places known. There is danger, fear, and suffering, in both places. Yet we know God is still working in the story. He hears our prayers and sees our tears. With God, there will be the offer of rescue, redemption, a restoration, but the when, how, where, and why are entirely up to His wisdom. We rest in the knowing that God is slow to anger. He does not hold onto His anger forever. His desire for love and mercy are greater and His compassion is stirred in our suffering at the hands of the adversary, at our desire to be with Him, in His story, our repentance, and our seeking of Him. We must make the decision to pursue Him with our whole heart and soul, transformed by Him into the action of obedience to His covenant and commands. 

Credits

Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.